kav (xreadingsolacex)'s Reviews > Iron Heart

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book as part of my participation in Caffeine Book Tours book tour to promote this novel. This in no way impacted my opinion."

"Strength isn't measured by the ability to cause harm."

Iron Heart by Nina Varela is the stunning sequel to Crier's War. This duology takes place in a world where two different species exist - humans and Automae. The Automae rule the land, resigning humans to a life of servitude and violence. The reader follows the journey of one Automae and one human, Crier and Ayla, respectively.

Let's start with obvious: As nearly everyone knows by now, Crier's War is my favorite book (~technically~ by second favorite book of all-time, but there's no need to get ~technical~). Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I was...basically...in love with Iron Heart even before I'd read it.

I did, in fact, read this beginning to end in one day, and I did, as well, experience more emotions than I will ever be able to vocalize in that one day.


Characters:

The first aspect of Iron Heart that jumped out at me is how all of the characters feel older in this novel - not in a bad way, but in a way that reflects the suffering they've endured, the realities they've confronted, the actions they have had to take.

If someone asked me for advice on writing character growth (though I do not suggest anyone do), I would simply hand them a copy of Iron Heart.

Individually and together, the characters of this novel are the core of the overarching story, and they do not take their roles lightly.

Crier is the daughter of the Sovereign of Rabu, or, the man who controls almost all the land, and who has and continues to carry massacres against human villages, among other cruelties. Crier's War is the tale of Crier waking up, of Crier recognizing the true impact, or, more accurately, the true danger of her people, and of her own potential.

In Iron Heart, though, Crier renounces her past naivety and complicity in her people's--her father's--cruelty. Crier is now ready to defy her father , and her entire government, to forgo her past life as a noble.

And. Yeah. I love Crier's growth. Even within the first novel, I was so impressed with how Varela established Crier. But in Iron Heart, I was downright floored .

Ayla is a revolutionary. After losing her family to Hesod's, Crier's father's, cruelty, Ayla transformed into a raging fire. In Crier's War, we see-no, we feel Ayla's fury. We see her power. We see the revolutionary, the rebel.

In Iron Heart, we feel Ayla's grief. We see her strength, her endurance. We see Ayla the human.

I. Love. Angry. Women. Give me angry women any day. But to truly understand justified anger, one must also understand all of the emotions buried underneath her anger - her shield . One must know the woman behind the fire.

Iron Heart gave us that opportunity.

Queen Junn , also known as the Bone Eater, as the Mad Queen, is a character we truly delve into for the first time in this novel.

Junn is a fascinating character; I don't know that anyone - character or reader alike - will ever be able to fully understand her. But that's what makes her so compelling.

I constantly forgot her age - around 18 - if it hadn't been recently mentioned, because of...well... her .

Junn is a character I can neither like nor dislike; she is a character I can respect .

Benjy , Ayla's best friend and a fellow revolutionary, went on a path I...did not expect. At all.

Nina herself said she thought readers may be surprised by the path Benjy goes on in this book...yeah I was.

When it comes to that theme of growing up , Benjy is it. He grows up like no other character does.

And it's exactly what he needs.

I still cannot wrap my head around his journey as I did not see it coming, but I can see that this is the path he needed - the right path for him.


Outside of our four person ~ squad ~, we also spend time with a few others - Storme, Ayla's twin brother and Junn's human advisor (and ~ boyfriend ~) ; Faye, a servant at the Palace thought to have been driven insane by Kinok's cruelty ; Hook and co., a new ~ squad ~ that I love So. Much. (seriously. I love Hook So. Much. Where is the spin-off Ms. Varela.) ; and a few other new faces.

I could write entire essays on each of these characters, but I'll spare both you and I from that fate. I will say, though, that these character are just as, if not more, impactful as/than Crier and Ayla. Their being 'supporting characters' does not lessen their contribution to the story in the slightest.


Relationships:

If I thought Crier's War did a phenomenal job with relationships...Iron Heart laughed in my face before surpassing it, reaching a level I didn't even know existed.

Every relationship, whether positive, negative, or neutral, was so layered, so well-constructed.

The development of Crier's relationship with her father was heartbreaking and necessary. I knew it was coming, and so did she, but it's never fun to have a parent who has no love for you.

The exploration of Storme and Ayla's relationship was...it also hurt at times, but it didn't at others. Within their relationship, all I could see is that no matter the pain they put each other through, their love will always be the brightest star in the sky. I see the full, unadulterated power sibling bonds possess.

As for Benjy and Ayla...their relationship is so special. I'm a sucker for having that One Person. It's my jam, and that's exactly this dynamic. Their bond isn't the same this time-around - it's evolved, for better or for worse, but it cannot be broken .

Crier as a character, though, sees for the first time what friendship truly means. She gets to start forming relationships in the first place. And it is beautiful.

As for The Girls, Crier and Ayla ,~ Crayla ~, Varela invented the word yearning . This novel is literally just a bunch of badass rebels destroying a colonialist system...and two Lesbians Without Braincells trying to figure out how to ~ gay ~ together.

In all honesty, though, Varela truly does a fucking fantastic job with their relationship. Writing a relationship - a romance , no less - between the daughter of The Oppressor and a servant whose life was destroyed by Him is...more than a little challenging.

Varela intentionally has these two girls grow individually and together before allowing anything to exist between them. She simultaneously handles a tricky subject with such care, while also writing The ~ Tension ~.

i mean...slow-burn / enemies-to-lovers lesbians... who could resist???

"You want her. Or love her. Or at least something else. Something just as intense as your hatred."

Other:

While I could, and partially want to, include sections about other aspects such as the incredible world and Varela's breath-taking writing, this review is also so long, so I'll just provide a few brief notes.

The theme of revolution and rebellion within fantasy is one I adore, when done right.

Varela most certainly does it right. This entire book is basically just fuck colonialism . But, really, Varela truly manages to so seamlessly incorporate the fantasy elements of the Automae and the fairy-tale feel of Crier's story in a world that is founded on the same horrors as our own world. She straddles the line between reality and escapism so effortlessly.

She executes the theme of revolution , creating a story where the revolution goes beyond one specific person - it is the effort of many, and includes disagreements among them as well. It is not One. Large. War. It is everyday battles, constant efforts to make lasting change. It is real .

As for Varela's writing, what I will say is this: From the very first sentence to the very last, you will be enamored by her words.


With that. I. really love this book. This Duology. There is so much more to say, but once I start, I won't be able to stop.

so: thank you, crier and ayla, for letting me be a part of your journeys, the good and the bad. it made a difference.


[slightly paraphrased]

"We won't give up. We never give up."

"Because...because there are things worth dying for."

"Nah...because there are things worth living for."

content warnings: war, death, violence/descriptions of blood, drug use/addiction, body horror

representation: queer characters, MCs of color (implied but not explicit), lesbian MCs, f/f romance